Summoning of Sagawa is just first step: JCP Kokuta

March 21, 2018

The House of Councilors Budget Committee on March 20 decided to summon former Tax Agency head Sagawa Nobuhisa as a sworn witness. Sagawa was the Finance Ministry’s Financial Bureau chief at the time when the tampering of official documents regarding the national land sale to the school corporation “Moritomo Gakuen” took place in the ministry.

Amid increasing public anger against the falsification of the official records, the ruling bloc has finally accepted the opposition parties’ demand to summon Sagawa to the Diet. Sagawa will be ordered to appear at a meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee slated for March 27.

Following the committee’s decision, Japanese Communist Party Diet Policy Commission Chair Kokuta Keiji held a press conference in the Diet building. Kokuta said, “The JCP has demanded the summoning of Sagawa since last year. This was realized as a result of the opposition parties’ joint efforts and the surge of public anger.”

Kokuta pointed out, “Official documents are the foundation of democracy which supports popular sovereignty. Given that such important records were falsified, it is a matter of course that the Diet has a responsibility to order persons directly involved to give testimony under oath.” He went on to say that Sagawa should tell the whole truth including whether there was pressure from politicians and top government officials regarding the doctoring of the documents.

Kokuta also said that Sagawa’s appearance before the Diet is just the first step. He stressed that in order to look into the falsification of the documents as well as the alleged involvement of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s wife, Akie, in the state land deal with Moritomo, the Diet needs to have Akie and other key figures testify as sworn witnesses.